Let me be clear, I’m not mad about it. I’m a zoodle fiend and would probably eat them every single day of I didn’t figure my husband would prefer a little more variety. But I would like to make another veggie noodle become a thing.

SWOODLES!

Sweet potato noodles. Swoodles? Can I get away with that? Zoodles and swoodles together kinda sounds like a weird children’s board game or something…so maybe not. But today, I’m gonna try.

Actually not, because I can’t even type it with a straight face.

Sweet potatoes are my second favorite way to make veggie noodles. We might be running into another classification issue here, because I don’t know that sweet potatoes technically qualify as a vegetable. (Googles ‘are sweet potatoes vegetables.’) All potatoes are classified as root vegetables, but regular white potatoes are typically looked at as more of a starch. Since sweet potatoes have a lot of vitamins and fiber, we will let them stay a vegetable.

This makes me feel a lot better about my daily vegetable intake! 🙂

Sweet potatoes are arguably the second best veggie noodle because you can get real noodles out of them. Most other veggies aren’t big enough to get a full noodle. I’ve tried with carrots, but you have to have really large ones in order for them to spiralize well. Cucumbers work well, but I use those for salads rather than cooking! They stay good longer prepped as noodles than zoodles do, actually. They’re a good option to prepare on the weekends and have ready to throw into stir fry or other dishes as you go throughout the week. I’ve been putting them in my eggs the last few mornings!

Today’s recipe for sweet potato and zucchini noodles with pesto and chickpeas is made as a savory vegetarian dish. BUT it’s also a great option for meat eaters who want to add their a protein source of choice there than chickpeas to the top! My number one recommendation would be grilled chicken.

The addition of sweet potato noodles makes this a filling recipe you can make for dinner. It also reheats well for lunch!

Instructions

Drain and rinse chickpeas, picking off any of the skins if desired. Toss in olive oil and seasonings. Spread on a baking sheet. Roast chickpeas for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

While chickpeas are roasting, spiralize the sweet potato and zucchini.

Once chickpeas have about 10 minutes left, set a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic, olive oil and water to the skillet, then add sweet potatoes. Cover and stir every couple minutes for about 5 minutes.